Democratic nominee Joe Biden gave a short but powerful speech Friday night in Wilmington, Delaware, calling on Americans to be patient while votes are counted, and prepare “to put the anger and the demonization” of the bitterly fought presidential race “behind us.”
“I know watching these vote tallies on TV move slowly upward can be numbing,” said Biden. “But never forget: the tallies aren’t just numbers. They’re votes, and they represent men and women who exercised their fundamental right to have their voice heard.”
Biden spoke as the presidential vote counting process in key states dragged on into a fifth day Saturday with Biden in the lead over President Donald Trump in key states, but no clear indication of when news networks would deem that lead to be insurmountable, and “call the race” for Biden.
Having decided earlier in the day not to deliver a planned victory speech on Friday night, Biden allies initially said he would merely give an “update” on the race. But it quickly became clear when Biden began speaking that he had more to say than that.
“No matter who you voted for, I’m certain of one thing: The vast majority of you want to get the vitriol out of our politics. We’re certainly not going to agree on a lot of the issues — but we can at least agree to be civil to one another,” he said. “We may be opponents — but we are not enemies. We are Americans.”
It was no accident that Biden’s message was the opposite of Trump’s. The former vice president has taken pains this week to present a contrast to the president’s tirades and tantrums.
